Missing boy found dead in mountain ravine

A 12-year-old elementary school student who went missing in Juwangsan National Park was found dead Tuesday after a two-day search, authorities said. The boy’s body was discovered at the bottom of a steep slope about 400 meters from a hiking trail.

Police and park officials said the sixth grader, identified only by his surname Kang, was found around 10:13 a.m. in a valley near Jubong Peak, the park’s highest summit at 720.6 meters.

Kang had visited Daejeonsa Temple with his family around noon on May 10. He later told his parents he would hike alone, left his cellphone with them and headed toward Jubong Peak. His family lost contact with him shortly afterward.

Police, firefighters and park officials launched a large-scale search after receiving a missing-person report later that day. More than 350 personnel, along with helicopters, drones and search dogs, resumed the operation Tuesday morning from around 7 a.m.

The boy was found below a rugged mountainside outside the designated trail connecting Jubong Peak and Kaldeung Pass. Authorities said he was lying in a stream bed when rescuers located him. Aside from facial injuries, there were no visible signs of major trauma or severe bleeding.

Police believe Kang may have wandered off the trail and slipped down the slope before dying from hypothermia and exhaustion. Rain fell across the mountain on Sunday, the second day of the search, while overnight temperatures reportedly dropped to near freezing.

Kim Ki-chang, head of disaster and safety management at the Juwangsan National Park Office, said the site where the boy was found was inaccessible from other hiking routes.

“The area can only be reached from the outer edge of the official trail between Jubong Peak and Kaldeung Pass, either by climbing down or after slipping off the path,” Kim said. “The slope is extremely steep, with dense vegetation that makes it difficult for ordinary hikers to access.”

Police said an autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death. Recovery efforts were delayed after rain began falling around 2 p.m., preventing helicopters from approaching the area. Rescue workers eventually climbed down the steep hillside and carried the body out by hand. The recovery operation was completed around 4 p.m., about six hours after the boy was found.

As the body was brought down from the mountain, Kang’s father broke down in tears, repeatedly crying, “What do I do?” Search crews and family members at the scene also appeared devastated.

The tragedy sent shockwaves through the boy’s elementary school in Daegu. School officials said they would provide grief counseling and emotional support for students and staff through the school counseling center. The Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education also said it would offer emergency counseling services to help students cope with the sudden loss.


청송=명민준 mmj86@donga.com